tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296854962024-02-06T19:42:42.510-08:00Running ConfessionalAn experience report on my experiment with barefoot running.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-6371011880793866232010-04-02T22:24:00.000-07:002010-04-02T22:28:33.811-07:00<h1>How long does it take to learn to run barefoot?</h1>Okay, foo on me for not writing for over a month. I don't know when it happened, but something changed in my running experience. Big change.<br />
<br />
In the last post, I was obsessed with stretching, having correct running form, recovery time, etc. I was about to write a post about how much concentration barefoot running takes compared with shod running. How I don't listen to music while running because it distracts me from improving my form. That post ain't gonna happen.<br />
<br />
When I run now, I just run. Shirt, shorts, and away I go. I don't think about it. I don't stretch before or afterwards and feel just fine. What a difference a month can make.<br />
<br />
So, how long did it take to learn to run barefoot? Seems like somewhere around <b>3 months</b>.<br />
<br />
I still have things to learn. On occasion, it feels like I'm gliding along barely touching the ground. On other runs, I struggle. While I don't have to think about form so much anymore, I'm much more aware of how much form matters to enjoying the run.<br />
<br />
I don't shy away from unpaved areas, but big gravel is still a challenge. My feet <i>feel</i> tough as leather (though they still look pretty normal), but an occasional rock will remind me that I'm still not invincible. I asked my wife if she wanted to feel my feet. For some reason, she declined.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGoVIawMQAKhdZQlSP9RVHbVeikVDq873DzOXc-_NXYrhj9jG7wMPu4Mn6KpXdFL0z2i3UbKdyperKQf2hFC4SsWanMO5aUk0lCD1KIsKKIrrD1hHQJ-1NBkSEU7vP7VULY5hew/s1600/P1040119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGoVIawMQAKhdZQlSP9RVHbVeikVDq873DzOXc-_NXYrhj9jG7wMPu4Mn6KpXdFL0z2i3UbKdyperKQf2hFC4SsWanMO5aUk0lCD1KIsKKIrrD1hHQJ-1NBkSEU7vP7VULY5hew/s400/P1040119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I'm looking forward to the next three months.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-78976785630891493642010-02-27T18:13:00.000-08:002010-02-27T21:01:29.543-08:00<h1>Advice... It's worth what you pay for it</h1>I'm celebrating. I've had my first week after starting this barefoot running experiment where<b> I have no soreness</b> the day after a run. Gravel paths have gone from "ouch!" to "interesting...". I'm thinking it's a good time to reflect on what I've learned getting here.<br />
<br />
Before I go into what worked for me, I have to say that this is not advice. I started this crazy project by reading everything I could from others who'd been there and done it. Many of them had advice about stride length, body position, arm-swing, breathing...you name it. Looking back on my struggles, I'd have to say I would have been better off without reading what I'd read. I screwed my self up, but good, trying to follow the advice of others.<br />
<br />
That said, I think there is possible insight to be gained by reading the struggles of others as a basis for working through problems.<br />
<br />
So what worked for me? After ending up sore trying to follow the advice of others, I came up with a simple rule: <b><i>If it hurts, try something different until it doesn't.</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"> Yeah, yeah, okay, what about more specifics? I have a few thoughts below.</span></b><br />
<h2>Problems and solutions</h2><table border="1" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr><td><b>Issue</b></td><td><b>Presumed Cause</b></td><td><b>Presumed Solution</b></td></tr>
<tr><td>Sore arches</td><td>Weak foot muscles</td><td>Barefoot long walks</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sore foot-pads</td><td>Weak foot and leg muscles</td><td>Barefoot walks, building running distance slowly</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sore calf muscle</td><td>Weak calf</td><td>Building running distance slowly (disappeared after a month or so)</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sore calf tendon (<a href="http://www.rad.washington.edu/academics/academic-sections/msk/muscle-atlas/lower-body/flexor-digitorum-longus">Flexor Digitorum Longus</a>)</td><td>Swinging arms too-far side to side</td><td>Arms move nearly straight forward/back. Someone from the Chi Running camp can tell me how I'm screwing up my mechanics on this one.</td></tr>
<tr><td>Sore, tight hamstring (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitendinosus_muscle">semitendinosus</a>)</td><td>REALY weak hamstring</td><td>Hamstring stretch, foam roller, hamstring exercises. I particularly like the <a href="http://www.menshealth.com/powertraining/cms/publish/hip-dominant-uni/Single-Leg_Romanian_Deadlift.php">single-leg romanian deadlift</a> while holding a weight as it works all the balance muscles in my foot and leg. </td></tr>
<tr><td>Tight, painful back muscles</td><td>Holding muscles tight during running</td><td>Focusing on relaxing during running -- keeping spine straight and vertical, relaxing abdomen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
One might ask, did all this need fixing? That is, if I was just running in shoes, would this be necessary? Some of it, like the tight back muscles was a problem when running with shoes as well. I'm banking a bit on the research that indicates better long term joint durability from running barefoot. And how can I complain about having stronger feet and legs with better balance?<br />
<br />
I'd love to hear about other's experiences of failures and triumphs. Feel free to comment, or send links to your blogs to brad@bradly.comAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-38218329100562619822010-02-13T17:50:00.000-08:002010-02-13T17:50:50.072-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Between work and new baby, I'm finding it hard to get in as many runs as I'd like. I'm finding that just walking barefoot helps tremendously in keeping my feet muscles strong and soles tough.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I leave the house for a stroll with Liam, I'm hearing my wife's words echo in my head. "They won't let you into ____", where ____ is whatever store I'm on my way to -- Whole Foods, the taqueria, etc. I worry on my trip that she may be right. Am I going to come home grocery-less and sans burritos? A complete failure as a father? My wife was good enough to take a picture of this failure-in-making on my way out the door.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWh_UJ-Jq6lKDkq7cNiYWyruXeyCcAeDA900Hi4AOWWraX63L_vzRV56FFubaLiahH7kSuWCNOHoXl1guAQ3RfK5hqeWBqcZrkEBFffOLcUUzdvepSG4w_LPeMtyq6Kd7k3tCM8A/s1600/P1030922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWh_UJ-Jq6lKDkq7cNiYWyruXeyCcAeDA900Hi4AOWWraX63L_vzRV56FFubaLiahH7kSuWCNOHoXl1guAQ3RfK5hqeWBqcZrkEBFffOLcUUzdvepSG4w_LPeMtyq6Kd7k3tCM8A/s320/P1030922.JPG" /></span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm thinking at some point in history, bare feet became associated with poor or crazy or both. Poor because you're crazy, or crazy because you're poor. Any shopkeep worth their salt would do their darndest to keep these miscreants out. The good news seems to be that times have changed, at least here in San Francisco.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whole Foods? Nothing but broad smiles and "What can I help you find?". Taqueria? Two burritos, no waiting. Ha-ha! Now mad with power, I'm going barefoot everywhere on the weekends. I got in 5'ish miles last weekend tootling around the city.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My wife is still not particularly happy being seen with me. She let me know this in no uncertain terms during last weekend's trip to a furniture store. She claimed that nobody approached to help us because she was with a crazy man. Maybe. I interpreted it as politely waiting to help us at the slightest indication. This is still the topic of lively debate. If anyone knows folks who work at Room and Board in San Francisco, please ask them and let me know.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-82604357751572475352010-01-28T02:27:00.000-08:002010-01-28T02:30:22.678-08:00<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Barefoot Running in Nature</span></b><br />
<br />
Maybe I'm suffering the wrath of Benjamin Franklin's ghost for invoking his words in the context of barefoot running. I'm awake in the middle of the night. Apparently, ol' Ben used to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/magazine/18sleep-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=6">take "cold air baths"</a> reading naked in a chair in the middle of the night. Thanks Ben. On the other hand, this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segmented_sleep">might be normal</a>. <br />
<br />
But here, in the middle of the night, watching YouTube, not quite naked, in a chair, I came across this video on barefoot running from Nature. <br />
<br />
<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7jrnj-7YKZE&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7jrnj-7YKZE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br />
<br />
You might want to watch it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jrnj-7YKZE">on YouTube directly</a> in it's full 720p glory. It has some nice footage of forefoot strike running verses heel strike running.<br />
<br />
After a bit of searching the interwebs, I found that this professor <a href="http://barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/">has a site</a> with even more on the subject. Notice, though, the disclaimer at the bottom of the page that this research -- and therefore the video -- is sponsored by Vibram, makers of the Fivefingers footware. That said, I didn't find too much bias in the information presented and would recommend the read.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-46513322339298475092010-01-26T17:35:00.000-08:002010-01-26T17:35:47.581-08:00<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Safety or Freedom</span></b><div><br />
</div><div>I've taken a week off and just started running again yesterday. Torrential rains plus having gone a bit too far too fast and being sore for it convinced me to take a week off and reflect on progress. Let's go through an inventory:</div><div><ul><li><b>Fewer aches and pains?</b> I'd have to say that they've only moved. My feet feel better than running with shoes. Hamstrings are tighter and seem to be getting more of a workout. IT-band issues about the same. </li>
<li><b>Faster?</b> Maybe. I'm still going such short distances (2+ miles) it's hard to say. My comfortable pace is still pretty slow at around 7 to 7.5 mi/hr.</li>
<li><b>More fun? </b> Yes with bare feet, maybe not with the Vibrams.</li>
</ul><div>Maybe the novelty will wear off, but the barefoot experience is still exhilarating. My feet tell me a lot about how fast I can safely run. I get a thrill from feeling the temperature and texture of the concrete, rocks, sticks, etc. It takes my full concentration looking for obstacles, landing gently, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Nd-iNJAiO_K-snEFyn1Rx2gEBo2Nc_tLzLspZcPFyQSXl3CIE-Wzu_bC0fGDe4xPlb1xEni-U6IequVHdxg_0CMQrMett4onDh5SX8kBS_ZtQeTED7b5u3_cCKTMt8G1rZQwJA/s1600/2010-01-08%2011.28.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Nd-iNJAiO_K-snEFyn1Rx2gEBo2Nc_tLzLspZcPFyQSXl3CIE-Wzu_bC0fGDe4xPlb1xEni-U6IequVHdxg_0CMQrMett4onDh5SX8kBS_ZtQeTED7b5u3_cCKTMt8G1rZQwJA/s320/2010-01-08%2011.28.15.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Gravel paths are still challenging</i><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>With the Vibrams, it's closer to the shod experience. I'm more likely to get lazy and revert to poor form. I don't get the input from the environment.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Ben Franklin is often paraphrased about those who choose safety over freedom deserve neither. Is the same true for running? It's probably a stretch, but I'm leaning towards more barefoot fewer Vibram runs.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-83311122171346597322010-01-07T19:06:00.000-08:002010-01-15T07:10:20.707-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Quick Check-in</b></span><br />
Where am I? This week was my longest barefoot run to date at a whopping 2.5 miles. Here's the summary:<br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td></td> <td><strong>Jan 6</strong><br />
</td> <td><strong>Jan 8</strong><br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><strong>Distance</strong><br />
</td> <td>2.04 mi @ 6.4 mi/hr<br />
</td> <td>2.54 mi @ 7.6 mi/hr<br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><strong>Conditions</strong><br />
</td> <td>Warm, dry pavement<br />
</td> <td>Cold, wet, pavement + gravel trail<br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><strong>Issues running</strong><br />
</td> <td>Pain in right knee, right groin muscle, left achilles<br />
</td> <td>Feet stinging<br />
</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><strong>Post run issues</strong><br />
</td> <td>None<br />
</td> <td>None<br />
</td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Slight detour -- I've been using <a href="http://www.worksmartlabs.com/cardiotrainer/about.php">Cardio Trainer</a> on my <a href="http://www.google.com/phone">Nexus One</a> to track miles and pace. The app also tracks elevation change and has some other nifty features, but I'd have to say that the killer feature is that it talks. I was actually shocked to hear it the first time I used it. I was running along and after a bit it called out my pace. A bit later, it called out the distance I'd gone. I've used a Garmin wrist GPS before, but the talking aspect is much better as I don't have to focus on a small screen as I run.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2cEH7DKv2TuZelY0sDy2WignBrvVEugC8WpwQBErKurzrFKrBF1THoghYPnFJ3xtMve0LvAiKuZQwVxjKw_KHgJ_DxNzIfvh5tet0wZXTlcUmHosKy37WVFjUSr16HHAOMfaMA/s1600/cardiotrainer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2cEH7DKv2TuZelY0sDy2WignBrvVEugC8WpwQBErKurzrFKrBF1THoghYPnFJ3xtMve0LvAiKuZQwVxjKw_KHgJ_DxNzIfvh5tet0wZXTlcUmHosKy37WVFjUSr16HHAOMfaMA/s320/cardiotrainer.png" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<span id="goog_1262919957752"></span><span id="goog_1262919957753"></span><br />
Back to the main program. The good news is that my feet performed like champs. Or alternatively, I've learned to be gentle on them. The cold and wet is a bit uncomfortable, but the dry pavement feels great.<br />
<br />
In the 'not so great' category, I've got work to do on being gentle on the rest of my drive-train. During the run, my knees felt tight and my right groin muscle felt like I'd pulled it. I'm not sure if it's technique, weak muscles, not enough stretching (or too much stretching?). Time will tell.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-34711346175016310032010-01-03T10:32:00.000-08:002010-01-03T10:37:11.376-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>True Love</b></span><br />
<br />
Is there anything as wonderful in life than to be totally and unconditionally supported by someone? I think not. I wasn't expecting to find someone other than my parents who I could include in this category, but then I met my lovely wife. <br />
<br />
As previously reported, like 99%+ of the rest of the country, my wife thinks barefoot running is crazy. And yet, on Christmas morning, I was given a single box containing not one but two (count 'em, two!) pairs of Vibram Five Fingers shoes. A pair of each the <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_Sprint_m.cfm">Sprints</a> and the <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_KSO_m.cfm">KSOs</a>. Can you say kid in a candy store? I was shocked. <br />
<br />
I was particularly shocked because the Five Fingers have a very precise sizing system which requires you measuring your feet with a ruler. Did she just guess? Measure my feet in my sleep? Nope. Measured the impression on my shoe insoles. Very clever, that wife of mine. <br />
<br />
She got it as right as she could have if she'd measured my feet directly. But still not quite right. Why? My right foot comes out at just a hair over 11 inches but my left foot is right at 10.5 inches. I never knew. Total freak-show. I'm off to join the circus. "Come see the man with different sized feet!" Okay, maybe it's not that uncommon to have different foot sizes. I've read somewhere of a barefooter reporting that his shoe size gradually shrank as the muscles in his feet grew stronger. Maybe mine will even out eventually.<br />
<br />
I'd worn them all morning, but had been too busy putting together our Christmas feast to take them on the road. With the turkey in the oven, I had a bit of time to kill. My brother, though 2 inches taller, has almost the same foot-size. He took the KSOs and I the Sprints.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobRUeyk2DmOF0NFF6ldETR99RCGXVXZwMnxVC2ucm4unvEEXyEPc-AwE8d2RntFWqbI8iT7Iy3pDxgVV-WZf-64Giknuc00SMJ8JE56iIJ4IF7oGSZ_d2aXNZeUHxlqjYjnZFbA/s1600/brad_wade_vibram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiobRUeyk2DmOF0NFF6ldETR99RCGXVXZwMnxVC2ucm4unvEEXyEPc-AwE8d2RntFWqbI8iT7Iy3pDxgVV-WZf-64Giknuc00SMJ8JE56iIJ4IF7oGSZ_d2aXNZeUHxlqjYjnZFbA/s400/brad_wade_vibram.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Yeah, I'm the shrimp at 6' 2"+.<br />
<br />
How do I like them? I like them very much. They let my feet flex and roll very much like with no shoes at all and protect my feet from all but the biggest bumps. They're also possibly the most grip-ey foot ware I've ever put on -- they corner like crazy. Gone are the worries of broken glass, splinters, gravel, and road-borne toxins.<br />
<br />
On the downside, it isn't like running barefoot. I can't feel the concrete and don't get as much feedback from my feet on how to land lightly. There's still some sense of breaking the mold and stickin' it to da man, but not like being bare. <br />
<br />
And then there's the problem of my long right foot. What problem could this possibly cause? Well...the amazingly sticky tread covers the front of the big toe. In my first outing, I lost concentration for a bit and dragged my big toe. My toe curled under and errrrrrrip!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveSaVUenOxTtwp4s-vH3Qmm3-aHcJ9_pQLQA-Gxxruf_1ebeN6fCA24mP56BYHsHOURqkLWrkPQdMGgQUjbwj7DDFGcqFGAKjklT_GBoJOn-o7vtLW3x-05g-LxC4DH7GyzSyfQ/s1600/P1030802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveSaVUenOxTtwp4s-vH3Qmm3-aHcJ9_pQLQA-Gxxruf_1ebeN6fCA24mP56BYHsHOURqkLWrkPQdMGgQUjbwj7DDFGcqFGAKjklT_GBoJOn-o7vtLW3x-05g-LxC4DH7GyzSyfQ/s400/P1030802.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No damage to my toe, mind you. Is this a design flaw, an anatomical defect, a lapse in concentration or a perfect storm of all three? I'm not sure, but it's happened on two separate runs so I'm beginning to think it isn't a random happening. I am finding that concentration is one of the keys that I'm developing in barefoot running. More on that later.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And my brother? I was surprised when he told me that he felt like his toes were being spread more than in his regular shoes but otherwise didn't notice much difference. He's been following his own path of running discovery and trying to incorporate Tai Chi teachings. More on that later as well.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm excited to run in the Vibrams again today. I think I'll mix it up with some completely barefoot and some Five Finger runs. Each have advantages and drawbacks. I'll have to see if one ends up winning.<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-73960927283206375812009-12-27T13:19:00.000-08:002010-01-03T10:34:11.432-08:00<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Wet and the Dry</b></span><br />
Twas the day before Christmas and...I'll just stop there with the cliched cleverness. We wanted to show off the Golden Gate Bridge to my brother's girlfriend from Czech. I took this as another great barefoot walking opportunity.<br />
<br />
We parked at the Sports Basement there in Crissy Field. It looked like a longer walk than I'd done barefoot and, in an act of cowardice, I brought my shoes along "just in case". As it turned out, I could have gotten away without them.<br />
<br />
I was thinking I'd have mostly gravel trails and pavement to deal with. I'd forgotten about the grassy parts of the field and the sandy bits of the beach. We only walked, but I feel the mole-churned field and beach gave me a pretty good ankle workout. I'll be back for a real run here.<br />
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Past the Warming Hut, the trail narrows and I had to choose between gravel on blacktop or the slippery ocean-sprayed concrete. I chose concrete. I had great footing, but the wetness seemed to make my feet ultra-sensitive to every bump. I'd read a <a href="http://runbare.com/200/5-tips-to-building-strong-healthy-pads/#comments">tip on runbare.com</a> that running on the wet stuff could soften foot pads and rub them off like "pencil erasers" so I gave in to my cowardice and pulled my shoes on.<br />
<br />
What a shock! I went from feeling sure-footed and agile to having moments of panic where my foot would slip and my body would straighten up and freeze to right itself. Without the insulation of the shoes I could read the pavement's slickness much more easily and make corrections without the drama.<br />
<br />
I took the shoes off again after the wet stuff. My feet felt refreshed and excited to be bare again after their brief shodding. Google Maps tells me the total trip was around 2.6 miles.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=101831914970774359845.00047bbbb2cd838e9c2f5&ll=37.807038,-122.466059&spn=0.021904,0.045404&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&t=h&msa=0&msid=101831914970774359845.00047bbbb2cd838e9c2f5&ll=37.807038,-122.466059&spn=0.021904,0.045404&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">Crissy Field barefoot trail</a> in a larger map</small>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-74452347416141959182009-12-23T22:10:00.000-08:002009-12-23T22:10:11.884-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Time Off</b></span><br />
My parents and both siblings have come for the holidays. Between our newborn and relatives, it's been hard to squeeze a run in. To cap the deal, while unloading from retrieving my mother from SFO her bag leapt from the back of our baby-mobile and onto my foot. I was wearing shoes -- my spiffy new wife-approved shoes -- at the time, but I wished I had a steel-toed work boot instead.<br />
<br />
There I was, itching to continue my barefoot experiment, unable to break away from family duties and with a bone-bruise near my number-2 (index-toe?) <a href="http://www.landholt.com/3D/Foot_Bones/">proximal phalanx</a>. I could feel my weeks of work slipping away.<br />
<br />
We all decided to walk a few miles into The Mission for lunch. I figured I could get in some foot-building exercise by doing the walk barefoot. Sure, why not?<br />
<br />
After bundling our son in his pram my wife called "Get your shoes on, we're going.". Not wanting to start a conflict I called back "Ready!" and snuck my shoes into the stroller. Lucky for me, my wife was having a lively discussion with my mother and didn't see my naked feet until we'd started down the street. She must have been in a saintly mood because she just rolled her eyes at me and continued chatting.<br />
<br />
Half a mile later, we'd made it to the Mission and my wife noticed some broken glass on the street. "There's broken glass here. You need to put your shoes on." She was correct. There was a lot of broken glass. Everywhere. <br />
<br />
I was a bit nervous, but I decided that I was committed to the experiment come what may. My wife escalated to claiming that she would NOT take me to the emergency room when my feet were cut to shreds. I thought to mention that St. Luke's was only a block away at that point and that I could probably crawl if I needed to. But then thought better of it.<br />
<br />
And the outcome? Unscathed. In my ten or so barefoot pavement runs, I've never had problems with glass. You can easily avoid the big pieces. I'm guessing the smaller splinters get swept into the gutters and cracks. Walking barefoot is very different from running, but I do feel like I got high quality pad-building exercise and practice in treading lightly on the trip.<br />
<br />
Glass I can handle. But I do like to worry. I'm a bit concerned about what I might be absorbing from the pavement through my soles. Auto emissions...human emissions...who know's what's out there? Is this a realistic worry? I'm not sure what the permeability of foot-skin is to whatever's in the pavement. I do know that skin is able to absorb quite a bit more than I used to imagine. At least the folks making <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2003/nov/27/thisweekssciencequestions1">caffeinated soap</a> and <a href="http://www.energyfiend.com/2009/03/spot-on-energy-the-caffeine-addicts-patch">caffeine patches</a> think so. This (currently) unsubstantiated worry will probably drive me to getting some sort of minimalist running shoe before shards of glass do.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29685496.post-21043574118202899562009-12-20T09:17:00.000-08:002009-12-20T10:36:31.280-08:00Six months or so ago, a colleague from our Zurich office asked me if I knew anything about the <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/">Vibram Five Fingers</a> shoes. "Huh...that's crazy", I thought, "running shoes with toes" and filed it away with other sports-gear that I wanted to possess but which would end up rotting in a box in the garage.<br />
<br />
Fast forward five months and I'm failing to deal with lack of sleep with the birth of my first child. During paternity leave, my wife decided my go-to pair of running shoes do not in fact go with every outfit and make me a very un-hip looking dad. My wife and I were always at odds over my footware. I had a history of rejecting any shoe that met her euro-sensible, art-school-fab criteria. They were uncomfortable. They lacked the arch support and padding my big feet needed.<br />
<br />
Maybe it was lack of sleep. Maybe just a desire to please the new mother. Maybe her challenge to "man up and wear some stylish shoes dammit!" finally got to me, but I tried to take her request seriously. Her analysis of the situation was that my feet were weak and just needed time to get used to any shoe. From her experience with women's shoes, you break in her feet, not the shoe.<br />
<br />
Were my feet weak? How could this be? I'd done long back-packing trips with heavy packs. Races on steep mountain trails. Triathlons. All without any foot issues to speak of. It just didn't make sense. But it deserved some research.<br />
<br />
Somewhere along my internet spelunking I came across <a href="http://sportsci.org/jour/0103/mw.htm">an article</a> from 2001 that claimed that populations that <i>wear no shoes at all</i> have the healthiest feet. Yeah, but what about for running? Surely you need protection for running! Apparently not. And apparently this was all old news and there were <a href="http://www.barefootrunner.com/">many</a> <a href="http://barefootted.com/">crazy</a> <a href="http://runningbarefoot.org/">folks</a> in first-world countries running around barefoot.<br />
<br />
The core arguments around barefoot running go something like this:<br />
<ul><li>Padding in your shoes insulates your foot from the ground and encourages you to place your foot incorrectly.</li>
<li>Heel padding allows you to lengthen your stride and strike with your heel ahead of your body causing greatly increased stress on your foot, ankle, knee, and on up the chain.</li>
<li>With an unshod foot you cannot heel-strike (it hurts!). Instead, you land on the ball of your foot and absorb the landing through the length of your foot, Achilles tendon, and calf muscle as you more gently contact ground with heel.<br />
</li>
</ul>I decided to see how deep the rabbit hole goes. My wife will tell you that I'm an avid cult joiner, infomercial purchaser, and food fad follower. I'm going to try to stay objective, track my progress, and arrive at a verdict on barefoot running -- brilliant or bunk.<br />
<br />
So how's it going so far? After a month on paternity leave going barefoot to start building some strength, I have to admit my wife may have been correct. (Not about everything -- last week she claimed to have a longer intestine than I do. But really, why would I argue about that?) I'm now sporting a pair of wife-approved footwear in comfort. No regrets.<br />
<br />
Running? I've tried to go slow running 10 to 15 minutes twice a week. I imagined that running on pavement with bare feet would tear them up. Minus a pine-cone splinter, which I could have avoided, there have been no issues. My calves, however, needed work. I was laid up for a week after my first 15 minute run, hobbling around like an old man.<br />
<br />
Three weeks of running later and the calves don't complain. I'm struggling a bit with other pains further up my legs and don't feel I can add distance yet. Here's to hoping to report advances in future posts.<br />
<br />
Why a confessional? The average person, even here in San Francisco, has a strong reaction to seeing bare feet in public. When running I've gotten mostly smiles as if to say "oh, you're a kook!" and a few who exclaim out loud something like "you forgot something!". I <i>do</i> feel like I've joined a cult, have shaved my head, and am walking the earth in flowing robes. When I run at work, I take routes where I won't see too many co-workers. <br />
<br />
So here I go unloading my conscience to the world. It does feel like a guilty pleasure trolling the neighborhood in bare feet, rolling back the clock to childhood and doing something I'm not supposed to do. My bet is this will make me stick with it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07057592674441208460noreply@blogger.com2